Important information for residents
Somerton
Hello, This booklet contains important information for you about the work Newport City Homes is carrying out in Somerton. Our focus is on homes owned by Newport City Homes. However, we are also sending this information to homeowners who may be affected by our work. We started looking at our homes in Somerton because in recent years, we have carried out refurbishment work to try and improve our homes. We think that this may not have worked as well as we hoped it would, which is why we’re taking another look. We have written to you previously about this, in February and April. In February, we held our first online sessions for residents to come and talk to us about what this work might look like.
In these sessions, we told you that we’re looking at three options:
Option one: Take no action It may be that your home may need ongoing general day to day repairs and nothing more. In this situation, we wouldn’t carry out any additional work outside of our normal planned maintenance schedule.
Option two: Refurbishment Our second option could be to carry out refurbishment works on our homes. The work identified is quite extensive and outlined on page 8.
Option three: Building new homes This option explores demolishing existing homes and building new ones to benefit local residents.
Option four: A mix of new homes and refurbishment This option would mean building some new homes and demolishing some existing homes in key locations and then refurbishing the remaining homes. This is a new option based on the information we have found during our work.
Missed the first session? If you missed our first online session, don’t worry. You can scan the QR code with your smartphone camera to view the recording.
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Information for residents
Building the options To help us gather as much information as possible, we have:
• Carried out a series of surveys in your area to collect the latest information
We know that this is an uncertain time for residents and homeowners, and that there are many different views about changes you would like to see. We want to make sure that we have investigated each option as much as possible, and that we have taken all resident feedback on board before making any decisions.
• Engaged with residents affected by this work to understand how you feel about your home and local area
We would encourage you to read through the options in full and think about any questions you have.
This has helped us to create options on each of the areas above.
Later this month, we’re holding two online sessions - one for homeowners, and one for NCH tenants. During this session, we’ll talk through the options and answer any questions you have.
• Looked at the information we currently hold on your home
This booklet includes: • Which surveys we have carried out and why • What the surveys have told us • A summary of your feedback about your home and local area • Information on each of the options, and what these may mean for you
The options and your feedback will be shared with the NCH Board in July, and we’ll be looking to confirm which option we’ll be taking forward during August/September. We really appreciate your patience whilst we carry out this work, and I hope to see you at the next online session.
• Information on next steps, including when our next online sessions will be taking place • Details on how you can contact us with any questions or concerns • Frequently Asked Questions
Kind regards, Rachel George Head of Regeneration at Newport City Homes
It’s important to know that we haven’t made any decisions on which option we will be taking forward at this time. 3
What surveys and work have we carried out? These are the different surveys we have carried out to help develop our options. Condition surveys look at the general condition of properties, including kitchens, bathrooms and any damp issues. Structural surveys help us see if there are any structural issues that may need addressing. Topographical surveys help us accurately plot the locations and levels of buildings. Floorplans and Measured Surveys help us accurately measure flats and allow the architects to look at how the layouts could be enhanced to ensure that the properties are suitable for current and future generations. Drainage CCTV surveys have been carried out by placing cameras in drains to check their condition. 4
Information for residents
Ground Investigation surveys allow us to assess the ground conditions of area to determine whether any contamination is present, and if any remedial works are needed. It also confirms what type of foundations are required should we progress with a regeneration option.
Tree surveys have been carried out to assess the quality of the trees to make sure they are safe and worthy of retention and highlight their root protection areas (areas where no development should take place).
Local housing need - is mainly houses, especially three-bedroom houses. There is a need for one and two-bed accommodation in the area alongside family-sized houses.
Damp surveys have been carried out to determine the severity and cause of damp within properties.
What did the surveys tell us? The surveys confirm that the structures of homes in Somerton are safe. However, we have identified some issues which need to be looked at, to make sure homes are suitable now and in the future. • Damp and mould caused by: • Condensation in the roof causing damp in the upper floors • Rising damp which has wetted the external wall insultation • Penetrating damp • Ground conditions are good, no contamination was found in the survey
• Tree surveys confirmed that the trees surrounding the site are in good condition • Current energy ratings - homes are currently either EPC D or EPC E, which means that thermal performance is low, and homes need a lot of heating • Homes vary in size with some homes being smaller than current Government guidance for new homes, and some being about the same size
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Your views and feedback It’s important to us that we’re able to listen to your views and take them on board. Somerton is your home and community, so your opinion is really important for us to understand when considering what work may need to take place. We’ve written to over 300 NCH residents and homeowners to keep you informed through our newsletters. Our first online session in February was attended by local residents and recorded for those who couldn’t attend. We have also been engaging with the community through the Somerton Estate Facebook group. We recently wrote out to you, asking for your feedback through online, paper and telephone surveys. We received 42 responses, and these are the main things we learned from what you told us: You also told us that the main things you disliked about your home are:
How satisfied are you with your homes? Extremely satisfied Very satisfied
6.06% 9.09%
Moderately satisfied Slightly satisfield Not at all satisfied
27.27% 24.24% 33.33%
Your home
You told us that the main things you like about your home are: • The size and layout of your property (homes in Somerton are different sizes, which explains why some people like the size and others think homes are too small) • The size of bedrooms • Size of gardens
Driveway 6
Having a garden Second toilet
Information for residents
My home
• • • • • • •
Damp Quality of windows and doors is poor Rooms are too small General condition of properties Parking Small kitchens Unsecure gardens and lack of fencing
Your dislikes:
Lack of utility room
Downstairs bathroom
Drainage
Lack of dining room Trees in garden Lack of porch
Small bathroom
Colour of flooring Bathroom/Kitchen Lack of storage
Stairs
Property too small
Small garden Disabled accessability Internal walls Property layout poor Thin walls/noise issues
Proximity to neighbours Central heating not working Access to and from property
How satisfied are you with your local area? Extremely satisfied
18.18%
Very satisfied
21.21%
Moderately satisfied
21.21%
Slightly satisfield Not at all satisfied
18.18% 21.21%
Your area
You told us that the main things that you disliked about your local area are: • • • • • • •
Anti-social behaviour and criminal activity Empty properties on the estate Litter and fly tipping Lack of a local play area Poorly maintained roads Parking General estate environment
Your dislikes:
You told us the main things you like about your area are: • Good access to local amenities, such as bus stops, shops, schools and parks • Good parking in the area • The community as a whole
Bins too small Community centre needs improvement Disused allotment
Lack of CCTV
Road access
School needs investment Lack of green space
Disabled accessability
Lack of recycling facilities
Unmaintained waste ground Quiet
Good road links
Location
Pavements in poor condition
We understand from your feedback that there are mixed feelings towards possible work in Somerton.
Community
Parking
Local amenities
We know that whilst some residents feel really positive about possible changes, others feel a real connection to your current homes and community. We’d like to reassure you that we have and continue to look carefully at all feedback provided from local residents and homeowners. 7
Option one: Take no action This option would mean that general repairs would be carried out by NCH only, and properties would remain as they currently are. NCH residents would remain in homes as they currently are with no work carried out to address the issues identified. There would be no impact to homeowners.
Option two: Refurbishment Homes will look very similar to the way they look now, as existing external wall insulation would remain. This option would mean carrying out refurbishment works to your home and would include: • Ground floor damp proof membrane, which is likely to mean installing new ground floors • This would also mean we may need to replace kitchens and bathrooms • Damp proof course treatment to external walls • Repairs or renewal to the existing external wall insulation • Repairs to the roofs including any additional ventilation needed • Making good any cracking to the external walls • We may need to replace the ties that hold the cavity walls together To reach zero carbon standard and make sure home are fit for the future, we would also need to install: • Loft insulation • New double glazing • Mechanical ventilation system to help with air flow and minimise condensation • Underfloor heating • Solar panels 8
Information for residents
Impact on NCH residents The level of refurbishment for this option is significant. Should this option be taken forward, we would work with residents and the design team to consider whether works could reasonably be carried out while you remain in your own home, although this may be unlikely due to the amount of work required. It is more likely that we would need to move you from your current home, whilst work is taking place. In this instance: • Our first priority is that the refurbished homes benefit local residents. If you need to move as part of this process, our aim would be to see if we could re-house you in a refurbished home within your local area as part of the works process • If you wanted to move away from the area, we would try to facilitate this where possible • Ideally, we would aim to re-house residents only once, to somewhere that meets your needs
• We would talk to you about your needs in terms of location and home and we would work with you to try and meet that need • We would also pay compensation packages that are required by law Impact on homeowners • If we look at refurbishment, we wouldn’t normally carry out refurbishment works to privately owned homes
• If as a homeowner, you wanted to join us in the refurbishment works, we may be able to consider an ‘opt in’ approach, where homeowners could pay us to carry out the works to your home These options have been designed to start conversations with the local community about the level of work which may be required, and the exact details of this scheme would require further work through a design and consultation process.
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Option three: Building new homes
What the new development could look like. This option would be delivered in stages, in a rolling programme to allow as many existing residents as possible (NCH tenants and home owners) to move directly into new homes.
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Information for residents
What would this work look like? If this option is taken forward, all homes within the boundary shown above would demolished and new homes built. This option would allow us to build new homes for existing and new residents and also to improve the wider neighbourhood and environment. We set out here the work we have done so far, although if this option is taken forward we would want to work with residents on the design and other details to make sure your feedback is taken into account. Key aspects are: • 490 new homes 271 one and two-bedroom flats 219 two and three-bedroom houses, although we may look to increase the number of houses in Somerton, which would in turn reduce the total number of homes. These are some of the details we would want to work on with residents. • There are currently 356 existing homes in the area we are looking at 203 NCH-owned homes consisting of 2/3/4 and 5 bed homes 153 privately owned homes • We have tried to improve access to the school and to the community centre • We have increased the amount of green space and introduced two key new public spaces • In order to be as fit for the future as possible, these homes are zero carbon, which means achieving the best thermal efficiency we can and reducing the need for heating and heating bills.
These options have been designed to start conversations with the local community about the level of work which may be required, and the exact details of this scheme would require further work through a design and consultation process. Impact on NCH residents This option would mean that we would need to demolish your current home, and move you to a new home that meets your needs. • Our first priority is that the new homes benefit local residents. In the first instance, we would look at whether we could re-house you in a new home as part of the development process • If you wanted to move away from the area, we would try to facilitate that • Ideally, we would aim to rehome residents only once, to somewhere that meets your needs • We would talk to you about your needs in terms of location and home and we would work with you to try and meet that need • We would also pay compensation packages that are required by law Impact on homeowners In this proposal, we would need to buy back a number of privately owned homes • We would look to work with you, to buy your home at the market rate and pay any compensation required by law • We would also look to provide alternative home ownership options within the new development so that you can stay within your community We may also be able to help you with other housing options depending on your needs and circumstances. 11
Option four: A mix of new homes and refurbishment Acacia Avenue
What the new development could look like
• This option would include a mixed approach in key locations across Somerton. • We have identified specific locations as potential development areas for a number of factors including:
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Information for residents
• Areas where NCH own a lot of homes • Areas where there are already high numbers of empty homes • Areas we think we could really improve though re-development, for example by creating better public spaces and access routes to local services
Area one: Acacia Avenue
What the new development could look like There are two key areas for these works: Area one: Acacia Avenue This involves NCH buying land from Newport City Council to facilitate developing new homes. This option would affect 38 existing homes in Acacia Avenue, Myrtle Grove, Acacia Square and Poplar Road and the newsagents. Current work shows that we could build in the region of 94 new homes. Area 2, Hawthorne Avenue A key aim on work in this area, as well as building new homes is to create better public spaces and improve connectivity across the estate This option would affect 81 existing homes including parts of: • Hawthorne Avenue • Hawthorne Square • Hawthorne Fosse • Sycamore Avenue • Linden Road • Laburnum Drive • Somerton Road
Current work shows we could build in the region of 158 new homes. All remaining NCH properties will be refurbished. This includes: • Acacia Avenue • Poplar Road • Part of Hawthorne Avenue • Part of Hawthorne Square • Part of Sycamore Avenue • Part of Linden Road • Part of Laburnum Drive • Part of Somerton Road • Somerton Crescent • Palm Square • Libeneth Road • Ashley Road Refurbishment works would include all of those set out as part of option two (refurbishment). 13
Area two: Hawthorne Avenue
Public Square
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Information for residents
Impact on NCH residents
Impact on homeowners
If we need to refurbish your home, it is likely that we will need to move you so that works can take place. If your home is in a development site, we would need to move you from your home.
If your home is in an area where we are looking to carry out refurbishments
In this instance: • Our first priority is that the new and refurbished homes benefit local residents. If you need to move as part of this process, our aim would be to see if we could re-house you in a new or refurbished home within your local area as part of the works process • If you wanted to move away from the area, we would try to facilitate this where possible • Ideally, we would aim to re-house residents only once, to somewhere that meets your needs • We would talk to you about your needs in terms of location and home and we would work with you to try and meet that need • We would also pay compensation packages that are required by law
• We would not generally be looking to carry out refurbishment works to privately-owned homes • If you wanted to join us in the refurbishment works, we may be able to consider an ‘opt in’ approach, where homeowners could pay us to carry out the works to their homes If your home is in a development area, we may seek to buy your home to facilitate the proposals. • We would look to work with you to buy homes at the market rate and pay any compensation required by law • We would also look to provide alternative home ownership options within the new development so that you can stay within your community • We may also be able to help you with other housing options depending on your needs and circumstances
Public Square
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What next Consultation open until Friday 2 July 2021 Our formal consultation on these proposals is now open until Friday 2 July 2021. This means that during this time, we’re asking for your thoughts and views on the options. We’re seeking to understand how the community feels about these proposals, to make sure we take this into account when we make a decision. Your views will be included in the information that is considered by the NCH Board in July when they look at which option to take forward. We still welcome further views after this date, but we may not be able to take them into account in our recommendations. Join our online session We’re holding online sessions specifically for Somerton residents, to talk through these options in detail about what these options could mean, and what you think about them.
NCH tenants: Wednesday 23 June, 6pm Homeowners: Wednesday 23 June, 7.30pm You will need to pre-register for the session, and a link to attend will be sent to your e-mail address. Please make sure you have provided the correct e-mail address. If you’d like some help in registering, please get in touch with us using the details on page 17. 16
Information for residents
The session will be recorded, and links will be shared by text message and e-mail after the session. If you’re not sure if your e-mail/mobile is up to date, please contact us. Supporting residents with additional needs If you have additional needs, please let us know when registering for the session - this will help make sure that the sessions are accessible for you. Why aren’t NCH holding events in the community? Face-to-face events remain restricted due to COVID-19 regulations. The safety of our residents and colleagues is our number one priority. We’re continuing to review guidelines and the number of COVID-19 cases in the local community, and we will restart community events when it’s safe to do so. In the meantime, we understand that online engagement may be difficult for residents without internet access. We’re offering one-to-one socially distanced doorstep visits for residents with accessibility needs or who don’t have access to the internet during the consultation process. Visits will be offered on a case-by-case basis by our Community Services team. Please get in touch with us using the details on page 17 to request a visit.
Register for the online session here - just scan this code with your smartphone camera.
Contact us Talk to us We completely understand that this is an uncertain time for Somerton residents. We have dedicated contact information for any questions or concerns you have about this work.
Wesley Ford Community Services Officer 01633 277614 E-mail the project team directly at community@newportcityhomes.com
You can contact us at any time during and after the consultation period.
FAQ
Why are you involving residents and homeowners in this before you know what work will be happening? We appreciate this is a slow process and we understand that this may be worrying to residents and homeowners who want to know what work will be taking place. However, it’s important that we take the time to get this right, and make sure we’re making decisions with all of the available information. It’s also important we talk to residents about what we are doing from the start so that any decisions are informed by your views.
I want to decorate during this time. Can I? It is the decision of residents and homeowners on whether to carry out any decorating work during this time. We understand that residents may wish to wait to carry out any non-essential decorating until a decision has been made on what work, if any, will be carried out. It’s important to note that any option that we’re looking at, such as possible refurbishment or regeneration, may take some time to deliver because we will need to go through further design, consultation and review and implementation stages. We welcome individual discussions if you’d like to speak to us before making a decision.
If NCH needs to demolish a substantial number of properties in one area, how can we guarantee people will not be asked to move out of the area? We’re not able to guarantee anything at this stage as work is still to be decided. However, our first priority is that any refurbished and new homes benefit local residents. If you need to move as part of this process, our aim would be to re-house you in a refurbished or new home within your local area as part of the works process. If you wanted to move away from the area, we would try to facilitate this where possible. We would talk to you about your needs in terms of location and home and we would work with 17
you to try and meet that need. Ideally, we would aim to re-house residents only once, to somewhere that meets your needs. We would also pay compensation packages that are required by law. Will I receive compensation? If you’re a NCH resident and we need to move you permanently away from your current home and you have lived there for longer than 12 months, your household may qualify for a home loss payment, which is a sum set out by law. Currently, the Home Loss payment is set at £6,200. If we need to move you temporarily, then you may be entitled to a disturbance payment, to cover moving expenses. We would also pay any compensation required to private homeowners as required by law. The statutory compensation consists of: • 10% of the property value for owner occupiers (up to £62,000) • 7.5% of the property value for owners who are not resident
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Information for residents
Can I say no to work being carried out as a NCH tenant? Any work required would be carried out to make sure your home remains fit for the future. It may also be possible that work is required to meet current legislative requirements set out by Welsh Government, and so may need to take place to keep residents safe. The safety of our residents is our highest priority, and as a responsible landlord, we would work closely with you to explain why any work is needed and support you during this process. Why is NCH still listing properties on Home Options which are part of this work? It’s important that where we can, we keep providing housing opportunities for people that need it. Our work to build 250 new homes per year will help to support the current housing crisis in Wales, and where we have empty properties which are suitable for - residents to live in we will continue to let these whilst any decisions are made on work which may be carried out in the future.
Can I say no to work being carried out as a private homeowner? If we think that refurbishment work is required, we wouldn’t normally carry out refurbishment works to privately owned properties. If you are a homeowner and would like to join us in the refurbishment works, we may be able to consider an ‘opt in’ approach, where homeowners could pay us to carry out the works to your home. If we need to purchase your property as part of any refurbishment or regeneration work, we would work closely with you to purchase your property at the current market rate. Why are affected properties still being sold if they may need to be demolished? Unfortunately, we’re not in a position to be able to contact private homeowners as part of a property purchasing process, as we don’t have access to this information. If we do need to go ahead with a regeneration option for Somerton, we would look to purchase properties which are listed for sale on the open market. As no decisions have been made about what work will
be carried out, we’re not able to do this at the moment. What happens if I need to carry out repairs to my property, will these costs be recovered? Should we need to purchase any properties in Somerton in the future as part of a regeneration scheme, we would work closely with homeowners to purchase these properties through negotiation at the full current market value and follow a statutory process that includes paying compensation required by law. The market value takes into account the condition of the property; therefore it will reflect any significant work that has been carried out to improve the condition of the property. However we would not directly recompense homeowners who have had works carried out, as this would be reflected in the overall market price. The statutory compensation consists of: • 10% of the property value for owner occupiers (up to £62,000) • 7.5% of the property value for owners who are not resident
Deciding whether to carry out repairs is ultimately each homeowner’s decision. However, whilst we understand that residents may wish to wait and make a decision on any nonessential decorative work until after they know what work NCH may be carrying out, we would not recommend waiting to carry out any essential work required to maintain the structural integrity of privately owned homes. We welcome individual discussions on this if you’d like to talk to us further before making any decisions on repairs. You can contact us at any time through this e-mail address – community@newportcityhomes. com, or by contacting Wesley on 01633 227614. I’m a homeowner. Will I receive any compensation? If you are a private homeowner and we need to purchase your property as part of work carried out, NCH would pay statutory compensation as required by law. The statutory compensation consists of: • 10% of the property value for owner occupiers (up to £62,000) • 7.5% of the property value for owners who are not resident 19
Notes
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Information for residents
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Information for residents
Tell us what you think We’re asking for views from residents and homeowners in Somerton on the possible options we’ve talked about in this booklet. If you don’t have access to the internet, you can remove and return this leaflet to us by post using the prepaid envelope provided. An online version of this survey is also available - scan the QR code with your smartphone to access it.
What do you like and/or dislike about option one? (Take no action)
What do you like and/or dislike about option four? (new homes and refurbishment)
What do you like and/or dislike about option two? (Refurbishment)
Is there anything else you would like to tell us?
You can share your views with us online - just scan this code with your smartphone camera.
What do you like and/or dislike about option three? (Build new homes)
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